Our updates will always have their ups and downs. I know sometimes we may not
want to read about the down times but it is part of rescue.. it is part of life.
As a rescue these are decisions we are faced with.... we have to do what is best
for the horse and in some cases we must make the hardest decision that we are
faced with. At the same time we can feel relief that at least we have the
ability to ease the pain....and we can do that with kindness, love and respect.

What we all have to remember is that whether it was a short time or a long
time, once these horses are pulled from going to slaughter or rescued from abuse
and neglect, once they walk into these barns... they know life has changed...
they are loved and that is what they will remember. Someone did care.

So as you read this remember to celebrate that Sophie was one of the lucky
ones... she had a chance to be happy... her story was re-written and the last
chapter was a happy one

When a person must humanely lay to rest, their friend, their family member,
their horse the pain is enough to make you think that you never want another
horse because you do not want to have to go through that pain again. As time
goes on the pain is replaced by wonderful memories of your time together and you
smile whenever you think about it -- soon the day comes when you walk by the stall and you smile.. Remembering her nickers
when you walked by, her excitement when you were taking her out to go ride,
groom, play, whatever and her loud whinnies when you were just a little late
with dinner -- Then the day comes when you go into the barn and look at the
stall and you say.. I want to feel this all again. It is then when you can be
happy and comforted by the fact that you were able to give your friend the
greatest gift you could give. You were able to ease their pain in the final hour
and give him or her a dignified and humane end of life. That is true love of a
horse.

It is not any different in rescue. You go through the same feelings. The only difference is there are still many nickers
and whinnies you must tend to, but for the most part we go through the same
emotions. Each horse no matter if there has been 1 or 100, they all keep a
special place in our hearts.

Last week we had to put our dear Sophie down, she had been rescued from going to slaughter Thanksgiving 2007, she lad a bad case of Lymphadema. Luckily, we were able to get it under control and this past summer we had good news and thought we had beat it. The doctor thought that she could live many years, it was elephantitis
but it was manageable and she was not in any pain, it would flare up now and
then but was treatable each time and did not last long, only a few days.
Unfortunately the weekend before last it flared up again and was much more
aggressive. This time it was too much it had attacked her veins and capillaries,
so we did what was right by Sophie -- and we let her go in peace and with
dignity -- now she is free of pain.

As with all the horses that come to the rescue, we kept our promise to
Sophie, whatever we can do to make her life a good one -- we will ... and when
it is time that we can no longer do that. We will give her the respect she
deserves.

Sophie, like so many Belgians that are sent to slaughter had been worked very
hard most of her life and not given the proper care to enable her to keep
working so she was sent to slaughter. What is the most heartbreaking is that
with proper care Sophie, like many of the workhorses would have been fine. We
put gas, oil and get tune-ups for our cars. It is so hard for those who use
these beautiful horses as workhorses to understand that these deserve not to be
neglected.

As hard as it was to say good-bye to our Sweet Sophie, we can be thankful that
many filled her last year with care and love. Sophie was loved by many!!

Pure Thoughts Inc. The Triumph Project

Horse & Foal Rescue

Sophie after being purchased at the auction... now in the "safe pen" That is Razzle
next to her